Hardening Stainless Steel Knife Blades With Induction

Hardening Stainless Steel Knife Blades With Induction Heating System Objective Harden a 4"(101.6mm) section of a Stainless Steel surgical blade measuring 7" (177.8mm) long. Hardness should be 48 to 53 Rockwell C on the blade after processing. Material 420 Stainless Steel Surgical Blades measuring 7"(177.8mm) long, 1/4"(6.35mm) wide at the shank, and 0.085" (2.2mm) thick at the blade. Temperature 1850ºF(1010ºC) Frequency 365 kHz Equipment • DW-UHF-6kW induction heating system equipped with a remote workhead including one (1) capacitor equaling 1.2 μF • An induction heating coil designed and developed specifically for this application. Process A two turn helical coil with an internal quartz tube designed to scan the length of the blade is used to heat the blade to 1850ºF (1010ºC) to achieve the desired hardness. Results/Benefits Induction heating provides: • Flameless process • Improved production rate • Consistent & repeatable results